Dr. Ketan R. Bulsara

UConn Health this winter established New England’s first Cranial Nerve and Brainstem Disorder Program, bringing together a multidisciplinary team of experts to streamline care for patients with such conditions.

Led by esteemed neurosurgeon Dr. Ketan R. Bulsara and ear, nose, and throat specialist Dr. Daniel Roberts, the team collaborates with specialists from nearly a dozen departments and will encompass clinical care, research, and teaching.

“One of the core principles of patient care at UConn Health is a multidisciplinary approach to providing personalized care to optimize patient outcomes,” Bulsara says. “The Cranial Nerve and Brainstem Disorder Program extends that core principle by bringing together world-renowned experts in their fields. We are fortunate at UConn Health to have such an accomplished team across so many different specialties that is willing to work together to provide the best care for our patients.”

The program guarantees rapid evaluation of patients, regardless of whether they were diagnosed recently or long ago. Patients or practitioners can submit a request through the center referral portal, which is staffed by Bulsara and Roberts. For neurosurgical or ear, nose, and throat issues, the patient will be offered an initial evaluation appointment that is within a week of their request.

If the cranial nerve or brainstem issue is not related to the ear, nose, and throat or a neurosurgical issue, the physicians will connect the patient with the appropriate service.

“To have patients be able to access care in a very timely and expedited fashion is key,” Roberts says. “A patient can call us and we’ll say, ‘We’ll see you within a week’ to get the ball rolling and help direct them through this complicated process.”

Dr. Ketan R. Bulsara, a world-renowned neurosurgeon, brings an unparalleled range of expertise in treating neurological disorders to UConn Health as the new chief of the Division of Neurosurgery.

Bulsara came to UConn Health from Yale, where he built successful programs in neurovascular and skull base surgery. He has trained with the pioneers in neurosurgery and is an author on many national and international guidelines
and standards.

Bulsara is among an elite few neurosurgeons in the world with dedicated dual fellowship training in skull base/cerebrovascular microsurgery and endovascular surgery. He is directing both of those disciplines in UConn Health’s Department of Surgery in addition to serving as chief of neurosurgery.

“Dr. Bulsara is a world-class neurosurgeon who brings a level of expertise that is almost unheard of in the field,” says Dr. David McFadden, chair of the UConn Health Department of Surgery. “Whether it’s complex tumors, aneurysms, or any sort of brain- or nerve-related problem, he is well-equipped to offer a full range of treatment options.”

That includes the full spectrum of treatment of both hemorrhagic stroke and ischemic stroke. Bulsara was an early adopter of mechanical thrombectomy, a procedure in which the surgeon removes a clot from a blocked blood vessel going to the brain. Bulsara’s collaboration with UConn Health’s stroke program puts UConn Health in a position to handle these more complex cranial cases.

Bulsara also will be involved in UConn Health’s efforts to expand its epilepsy program to include neurosurgical treatments, and will be recruiting additional neurosurgeons with other areas of expertise.

“It’s always been my dream to establish a world-class destination center for neurosurgical care,” Bulsara says. “Neurosurgery, the way I look at it, is a multidisciplinary specialty. The focus of my division is to optimize patient outcome. We’ll build a team that’s tailored and personalized for every single patient. Ultimately, as a team, we provide the best care for the patients.”

Dr. Ketan R. Bulsara

Education:

Davidson College, B.S.

Duke University, M.D.

Residency:

Duke University Medical Center, Neurosurgery

Selected Accolades:

America’s Top Surgeons, Consumer Research Group of America (2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012)

From the American Association of Neurological Surgeons and the Congress of Neurological Surgeons: